Isle of Man equestrian Anna Higgins and her bay gelding Millmount Maestro triumphed at the London International Horse Show recently.

The Peel resident and her horse – whose stable name is Rory – won the working hunter class then went on to take second place in the overall working hunter championship in the 2024 Rising Star finals at the prestigious show.

Working hunter horses are judged on jumping style and performance, movement, manners and overall conformation.

Competing against 24 other riders, six-year-old Rory’s clear round, impeccable behaviour and high conformation scores earned him top honours in the British Show Horse Association (BHSA) competition for amateur show horse owners.

This was the second year that the finals have been held at the London International.

Reflecting on their win, Anna said: ‘It felt unbelievable. Rory jumped one of his best rounds to date, trying his heart out for me.

‘We never aimed to win this year as he’s so young – our goal was to ensure he gained experience and exposure. To go on and become reserve working champion was beyond all expectations.

‘Rory is a huge personality and presence. He always tried to please even if he’s sometimes a little over-enthusiastic about his work.’

Higgins has owned Irish-bed Rory since August 2023. He’s an Irish sports horse, a breed with a recognised ability for showjumping and eventing.

The partnership qualified for London International at a BHSA competition in Northumberland in the autumn.

The pair are no strangers to success: they were placed second in the ‘Search for a Star Working Show Horse’ class at the Horse of the Year Show at the Birmingham NEC in October.

Anna and Rory train with Cheshire-based showjumper Jeanette Powell - who holds regular clinics in the island - and with local British Dressage coach James Mister.

Looking ahead, Higgins plans to focus on showjumping over the winter to build Rory’s experience before tackling open working hunter competitions in 2025.

The London International championship rounded off a busy year for Anna. While continuing to grow her Millmount animal feeds company, she took over the Horse and Rider equestrian retailer business from the previous owner.

She opened a new shop on New Castletown Road in Douglas at the end of September, selling a wide range of rider clothing and accessories and horse tack and equipment.